Spellbound
Thank you all so much for reading, alerting, favorite-ing, and reviewing the story. I shortened the chapter b/c it was a little too long. Some will see this as a filler chapter and for that I apologize. The next chapter will be coming soon. It has been written but it has to be edited. I also want to say that there is one little part that I borrowed from one of my most favorite movies ever made; When Harry met Sally.
The characters don't belong to me. They belong to CH but the story is mine.
When Eric saw the look on Sookie's face, he was filled with pride. He'd gotten the reaction that he was looking for. The dining room looked just as he'd envisioned it; like an upscale restaurant. A white linen tablecloth covered the table. Lit candles were nestled in golden candlesticks as they sat beautifully in the center of the table. There was even a little man standing to the side with a little white towel draped over his arm … doing absolutely nothing. He was just standing there staring. Waiting. Looking.
Once they were seated, the staff members fawned over Eric and Sookie as if they were the king and queen of Sweden. The waiter sauntered out of the kitchen and did as he was previously instructed. He turned to Sookie and smiled as he handed her the only menu.
"Good evening, madam. I'm Robbie and I will be your waiter for this evening." He had the same arrogant tone that all waiters in upscale restaurants have. "What will I be serving to you on this fine night, ma'am?"
Sookie couldn't believe what she was reading. The menu was laden with meals that she would have only been able to eat in the land of Fae. She glanced at Eric over the top her menu and winked at him. There were dozens of dishes that used her most favorite spice; saffron. She could have had salmon with saffron rice and steamed vegetables. There was garlic herbed bread with fresh cream butter. There even were honey cakes and sweet cream butter truffles. She could have her choice of anything that she wanted.
She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to order. Her brain was in turmoil. It all looked so tasty. Since she couldn't make a decision, Sookie flipped back and forth as she read and reread the menu. Eric's chuckling interrupted her third reread.
"What's so funny?" Sookie asked as she peeked at him over the menu.
"Nothing," he answered. Though he said that it was nothing, he continued to chuckle.
She lowered the menu and stared at her husband. "I would love it if you would fill me in on the joke, Mr. Northman. I like to laugh."
He sat back in his chair and crossed his leg. "I used to think that you were trying to be as elegant as any princess would be when it took you long periods of time to order your food. I didn't realize that you really are as indecisive as you appeared to be. I find it to be quite amusing that it really does take you several hours to order your meal."
"And since you've distracted me, funnyman, it will take me several more hours to make my decision." She stuck her tongue out at him and proceeded to read the menu … over again.
"Okay," she finally said. "I know what I want" She looked up at Robbie and said, "If you're ready."
"Yes ma'am," he said. "I am."
"First, I would like to have the sweet red tulip salad. If you don't have the red, I'll take the pink but with no dressing. Not a single drop. That includes the red; if you have it" she said as she shook her head. "If there is any dressing on my salad, I will send it back. I don't like the wilted petals. They lose their flavor. Listen carefully, okay?"
"Yes ma'am," he said. "And we do have the red."
Smiling, she said, "That's great. I'll have the red. Now, this is how it has to be done. The red tulip salad should be on a separate plate; no wilted leaves and no stems. The stems also kill the flavor of the salad. The dressing should be placed in a white bowl. That will allow me to see if there are any ingredients that don't belong. I don't want just any dressing. I have to have the dressing that is especially made for the tulip salad; lilac glacial dressing, fresh. I don't want that bottled stuff. I would also like to have the pixie pears and mallow fruit with fresh whipped cream but the whipped cream has to be on the side. It also has to be in a bowl; a clear bowl. Okay?
The waiter nodded.
Eric looked on in amusement. Though, he'd seen her do this dozens of times before, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"For the drink, I'd like a tall glass of honeyed milk. Be sure and measure the honey as it should be; one part honey and three parts milk. If you add too much honey, it'll be too sweet. I don't want it to be too sweet. It'll upset my stomach. Oh, and no ice. It kills the flavor of the honey and thins out the milk. Did you get that?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am, I've got it."
Sookie place the menu on the table and looked at Robbie with raised eyebrows. "If you didn't get it, I'll be more than happy to repeat it for you."
"No, ma'am," Robbie said. "You don't have to repeat it. I've got it."
Sookie had a skeptical look on her face. She wasn't too sure if he had it or not. He did not sound very sure. "I would like it if you would repeat my order."
The waiter repeated her order and he then had to reread it once more to be sure that it was correct. He watched her; his face as emotionless as ever but his amusement flowed through her. Sookie was high maintenance and she didn't try to hide it. She knew what she wanted and how she wanted it.
"Is that correct?" Robbie asked after he'd repeated it for the fourth time.
"Yes, it is."
The arrogant waiter then decided that Sookie's order wasn't good enough. Robbie had the audacity to think that he knew better than she did. "If you don't mind, may I make a suggestion?"
The smile that was on Sookie's face was soon gone. "I do mind and no you may not. You can and will bring me what I ordered."
Eric smirked at the waiter. The wait staff at Bloody Goodness was always making suggestions. Well, they made suggestions to the patrons that weren't vampires. Normally what would happen is that the patrons would listen to the suggestions. Some of them would politely decline or others would change their orders but not Sookie. She wanted what she wanted. She'd ordered what she'd wanted and nothing was going to change her mind.
"Yes ma'am," he said. A little of the snobbish tone had left his voice. "Do you know if you'd like a main course? We have grilled tuna with orange and red pepper salsa and we have baked salmon with a creamy ranch sauce." As an afterthought, he added, "We also have gilded shrimp with saffron rice and asparagus with hollandaise sauce."
Sookie gave him a fake smile and the menu as she said, "The salad and dessert are just fine, thank you."
Though everything on the menu looked tasty and she would have loved sampling the many dishes from home, she realized that she wasn't all that hungry. The salad and the fruit were more than enough. She hadn't felt nauseated once today. No dizziness and no possible fainting spells; it was a good day.
The waiter then turned to Eric and asked, "What will your blood preference be, sir?"
"Royal," Eric said as coldly as possible.
The waiter took Eric's short answer to mean that they needed nothing else from him. He nodded and left the room.
Once Robbie was gone, Eric said, "We can request that they prepare you some meals for later." Putting his hands up defensively, he said, "Don't think that I'm turning into the waiter. I know that you haven't been feeling very well lately and I want to make sure that you have enough to eat."
"The extra food will be great, thank you. We can save it for later," Sookie replied. "After last night, I'm not sick at all. Not a bit of nausea or dizziness at all. I feel great. I don't know what has changed."
Eric smirked and said, "It must have been the amazing sex … or the outstanding blood. Maybe it was the company; the very handsome and virile company."
"Arrogant much?" she asked. But once she thought about it, he was right. That's exactly why she was feeling better. She needed the connection with and she needed his blood.
Since talking to Dr. Ludwig she had finally come to terms with what was going on with her. There's nothing wrong in their life; other than the fact that her Gran is gone. She's healthy and happy. She couldn't wait to tell Eric what was going on with her but it would have to wait. She needed to see where this Freyda issue was going to take them. Once Freyda was out in the open, they could move forward with their epic love story.
"You're not on what the humans call a diet are you? I hope that you don't think that I didn't notice how you hid your stomach from me last night while we were in the shower," he said as he smiled at her. "I'm a vampire, Sookie; not an idiot. I noticed your reaction. No matter what, I think that you're most beautiful woman I've ever met."
"You mean that," she said as she blushed.
"I do."
Sookie giggled. "Thank you but no, I'm not on a diet. I'd never do that. My friend Lafayette was on a diet once and he was nothing like he usually is; charming, funny, flamboyant. If I wasn't a fae, I'd have been afraid of him. Have you ever seen a human on a diet? They become different creatures when they restrict themselves of things that they like. They can't handle going without something." She shuddered at the very thought of becoming like that; cranky, hungry, and mean. "It's quite ugly."
Once the frightening sight and thought of Sookie being on diet has passed, Eric changed the subject matter. "How did your meeting go today? Did you get Calvin Norris everything that his people needed?"
"And then some," she answered excitedly. Her eyes were as bright as the stars. They always got like that when she talked about the good they've done and the people they've helped. He loved to see that look in her eyes. At the government meetings, when she was fighting for the rights of all supes, she was so passionate. She refused to let the skepticism of the American government keep them from getting what they deserved. She fought for what she believed in. She's never been one to shy away from a fight when it comes to the rights of others and it made her happy. When she is happy, she's not afraid to show it.
As he watched her talk, he couldn't tear his gaze away from her face. She was magical and tantalizing. Her eyes and her smile; those were the things that he loves most about her. No. Her heart and her soul; those are things that he loves most about her. She also has beautiful hair and shiny white teeth. Her skin always smelled like summertime. He loves those things about her. Yeah, that's what he loves most about her. Everything; he loves everything about her.
'She also has the greatest sense of humor and a zest for life,' he thought. He then decided that he didn't know what he loves most about her.
"Eric, what's going on with you?"
Sookie was looking at him as she laughed. She was happy. She was so happy. This was a night that old secrets were going to be revealed. He was going to tell her his deepest, darkest secrets. She wanted him to share every feeling that he's ever felt with her without fear of retaliation or misunderstanding. She wanted to listen to him with an open mind and an open heart. This is what they wanted. This is what they need.
"I've never seen so many emotions on your face before. What are you thinking?" she asked as she cocked her eyebrow.
He almost looked embarrassed. "This blood," he said as he lifted his glass. "It's delicious. I think it's the best bottled blood I've ever had."
"You haven't even tasted it yet."
"What?" he asked innocently.
She looked at him and laughed. "Well anyway, we have to discuss the housing for the were-panther clan. The budget that they have is not going to be enough. I know that the council will give us the extra money but they are going to need more for maintenance."
"Okay," he answered. "We can set up a time to meet with the council members and with Norris."
Sookie agreed with Eric as she leaned forward in her seat. "Can we get rid of the little man with the towel? He's giving me the creepies."
Eric looked at the little man and said, "You need to go. Your services are no longer needed."
The man with the little towel bowed to Eric and left the room but it didn't take too much longer for them to be interrupted once again. Robbie the waiter was soon standing by Sookie's chair. His nervous stink filled the once pleasant air.
"Your drink, ma'am," he said with his smooth and less snobbish sounding voice. He placed Sookie's perfectly made honeyed milk in front of her and said, "Your meal will be ready shortly."
"Wait," she said before he could walk away. She tasted her drink and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. It was perfect. It tasted like the honeyed milk from home. "It is perfect, Robbie" she told him. "It is absolutely delicious. Please thank the maker for me."
He beamed proudly. "I'll be sure to tell Kizzie that you are pleased." Robbie walked to the kitchen with his head held high and his knees no longer weak. He couldn't wait to tell them that the beautiful yet scary woman loved the honeyed milk and that they still had a few more minutes to live.
Sookie was about to take another sip of her drink when Eric gratuitously cleared his throat. She placed the glass back on the table and waited. She knew what was coming next. They were about to have their conversation about Freyda; the big, purple polka dotted elephant that was in the elegantly dressed room with them.
Eric leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table and interlaced his fingers. "I've made very few mistakes in my existence; for example, my treatment of you; believing Fintan and hiding the truth about Freyda to you. For the most part, I'm an honorable and honest vampire. My name is very important to me."
"We don't have to talk about Fintan or any of the lies that he told you. They had an awful impact on our marriage because we didn't talk to each other. That's not what's going on with us now. We are working on this. We want this," Sookie replied. "We're going to make it, Eric. There's no point in you torturing yourself with that Fintan stuff anymore. It's not entirely your fault. It's done."
She could see that her words did nothing to ease his guilt. Sookie dropped her gaze to the perfectly folded napkin that lay in front of her. She let her fingers trace over the delicate lace before finally looking at him with sad eyes. "You can't let your guilt destroy the progress that we've made. We can't move three steps forward and take ten steps back. There's too much that awaits us. There's so much to tell you." She took a sip of her honeyed milk and waited.
"I love you, Sookie. I can't help but feel guilty for my treatment of you. There are so many things that I've done that are unforgivable."
Sookie reached across the table and took his hand. "You're wrong. You've been forgiven. I'm not angry with you. I don't hate you. There is no reason why I can't or won't forgive you."
Eric gripped her hand in return. "Things are a bit more complicated than you realize. Let me start off by saying that I've always been partial to your family; Adele, Claudette, and even Claudine to a certain degree. Adele always told me the truth. She always made me feel welcome in her home. She believed in me. Most importantly, she believed in us. She has always said that we would do great things. She said that our union would change the supe world as we know it. I guess I should've listened to her instead of Fintan, huh?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"And Claudette, she is hand full of trouble but she has a heart of gold. There's nothing that she wouldn't do for you; even a stranger, even a vampire. And, Claudine, I tolerate her because of you. She hates me."
"She doesn't hate you," Sookie protested.
Eric cocked an eyebrow.
She shrugged her shoulders and decided that he was right. "She hates you."
"I want you to know that I love you and I love your family."
It felt great to know that her husband is 'partial' to her family; Adele, Claudette, and even Claudine. It sounded good but it was scaring her just the same.
'Did he do something to them?' she wondered. She then looked into his eyes and hated that she'd even thought such a thing. "Okay. Why do you say that things are more complicated than I realize and why are you telling me how you feel about my family?" she repeated quietly.
"Freyda …"
The lovers stopped talking and they released hands when the waiter swooped in with more flare than needed. He began to place Sookie's food on the table in front of her. Eric muffled a few curse words under his breath. He didn't bother to conceal his impatience for the young man. The waiter noticed Eric's impatience and finished as quickly as he possibly could but he had to ask one more question before he left.
"Will there be anything else?"
"No!" Eric growled at him; fangs descended and his voice low and menacing. The poor man gulped and left just as quickly as he could …this time without the flare. Sookie almost thought that he was a vampire he moved so quickly.
"Your dinner looks fabulous," Eric said.
"It does. It has also been prepared just as I ordered," she replied as she looked down at her plate. The tulips were the deepest reds. There were no stems or wilted leaves. The lilac glacial dressing was in a white bowl and it was as clear as it should be. It looked perfect. Returning her gaze back to Eric, she said, "It can wait though. Tell me about Freyda."
Eric looked at Sookie and decided that he'd put this off long enough. "It all goes back to family. She's a vampire and she was an important part of my existence. There's a reason why I had that party for her and there's a reason why you weren't invited."
Sookie's back was soon straight. Her blue eyes were as black as coal and her body was vibrating. Eric could almost smell the electricity as it radiated from her body. Jealousy and anger were not a good combination for a fae in love.